Tours

LRF Educational Lecture and Lab Tour

Temporarily Closed – call or click here to receive tour updates

Hawai‘i is making a collective decision to attract quality tourists. This is why we need you to sign the Pono Pledge before you visit our island communities. Mahalo!

Come tour the only community based coral lab on the Big Island!

We offer a marine scientist led educational lecture and lab tour at our facility two days per week.

Learn all about coral – what it is, where it lives, how it feeds, the problems it’s currently dealing with in our oceans and what you can do to help.

The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes and we promise you will never look at coral the same way again.

Come and experience this one-of-a-kind Hawaii tour today.

Social distancing and masks are required. Those without a mask, may purchase one from us or reschedule the tour.

Tuesdays and Fridays @ 10:30 a.m. $32 per adult
Reservations are required. $20 for those under 16

Reef and Manta 2 Tank Dive, plus Lab Tour - coming soon!

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The reef and manta two tank dives, coral lecture, and lab tour are educational diving experiences like no other in Hawai‘i.

This tour provides the opportunity to visit a coral nursery, understand the biology, importance, and stressors of coral as well as review common marine life identification; then, you enjoy some Kona coast diving accompanied by a marine scientist from the Legacy Reef Foundation team.

Our Legacy Reef Foundation marine scientists will accompany you on the boat and in the water, identifying coral and reef critters along the way to make for a complete day of education and fun. The 1st dive will be the reef ecosystem and the 2nd dive will be a night reef & manta dive!

Lab Tour

Your day will start with a visit to the Legacy Reef Foundation non-profit
facility, based at NELHA near the Kona airport at 1 p.m. Here, you will be
greeted by our marine scientist who will offer you a coral reef educational
lecture followed by a lab tour of our facility, where we grow Hawaiian corals
on land.

Reef and Manta Dives

After the lab tour we will dive in the pristine waters off West Hawaii, with our conservation partners, Aquatic Life Divers, on one of their two custom built dive vessels (made by Armstrong in 2018). These 32 foot vessels boast twin Yamaha 300 Outboard Motors to get you out and diving with speed and comfort.

Your 2-tank diving portion of the experience will include some of the best coral viewing spots on the West Hawaii coastline. Your boat will leave from its slip at the Honokohau Harbor (which is a 10-minute drive from the Legacy Reef lab).

Exact dive locations depend on the day’s weather.

What's included?

Meal: On the dive boat, we will serve a tasty lunch of sandwich, chips, fruit & non-alcoholic beverage. Let us know if you require the sandwich to be a vegetarian option.

Equipment: weights, air tanks and coral smart sunscreen for your dives. Our conservation partners, Aquatic Life Divers can support you with their collection of new, high-end dive gear, if you wish to rent the dive kit.

Schedule and Prices